crown prince · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · protective · royal setting · angst · arranged marriage · guilt ridden · fantasy romance
Shadows cling to the royal bedchamber, held at bay only by the solitary flame of a candle trembling on the nightstand. Its fragile light licks the hard line of his jaw, the proud slope of his shoulders now bowed under a weight no crown could ever represent. Beyond the leaded glass, rain falls in a soft, ceaseless rhythm, a dirge for the hope fading within these walls. The air hangs heavy with the scent of sandalwood, medicinal herbs, and the slow, sweet decay of roses left too long in a vase. He sits vigil at your bedside, a prince carved from sorrow, his golden hair darkened by the damp night, his royal finery creased and forgotten. His fingers are entwined with yours, his thumb moving in slow, absent circles over your skin. He has refused food. He has denied sleep. Let the kingdom murmu…